This invention relates to a laser-aiming device for weapons, and more specifically to a laser-aiming device having an electrical arc and corona suppressor.
The art for laser-aiming systems has steadily progressed from a primitive mounting of a laser tube, or other collimated light source, onto a weapon to a sophisticated means of mounting a collimated light source having buffering capability and interchangeability with different weapons. A detailed accounting of the development of the laser-aiming art may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,026,054, 4,079,534 and 4,161,076 wherein the laser art is developed from external mounting with external buffering to sophisticated mountings within a dustproof housing. All of these are patents of the inventor of the present invention.
The advantages provided by a lasing system, especially at night, are well acknowledged. The need has developed for accurate aiming with a completely self-contained system able to operate effectively under severe environmental conditions as well as to withstand recoil shock from the weapon itself. The use of the weapon requires the aiming device to be exposed to severe weather, high altitudes, dust, water and other type of contaminants on or around the aiming system. Such contaminants often prevent proper functioning of the aiming device at very critical times. U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,076 discloses a laser-aiming system having a laser tube enclosed in a dust-proof housing where buffering means are present for preventing shock upon recoil of the weapon. This enclosed system is one of the later developments in the laser-aiming art, and although solving many of the problems of removing contaminants from around the aiming system, it has created problems in electrical arcing and corona within the housing.
The laser enclosure, or housing, supporting the plasma tube will normally have a buffering mechanism for protecting the laser tube upon recoil of the weapon. The housing may also have a lateral shock absorber. The system with the lateral shock absorber may also include a metal sheath for immediately surrounding the plasma tube and absorbant material.
Electrically the laser system has an electrical potential going through the laser tube with the housing acting as cathode or ground. An often encountered problem is electrical arcing or corona that is present between the plasma tube and the housing or sheath penetrating the urythane foam. This arcing is found to be the result of humidity and rarified gases, found at high altitudes, that are present in the housing. Thus, although the housing is dust-proof and waterproof there is still a certain amount of humidity and rarified gases that may be found within the housing causing arcing and corona problems.
As a result of this arcing, which essentially removes the plasma tube from the electrical circuit defined by the power supply as the high or positive side, and the housing as the ground or low side, a serious current drain is placed on the power supply. This detrimentally effects the power supply, and may further destroy any diodes or transistors in the system or the batteries themselves in the power supply.
Secondary results are burning wires connecting the power supply and the plasma tube and smoke resulting from the electrical arc, placing residue on the optics of the system. Arcing further depletes the insulating gases in the air and contributes to instability of atmosphere, thus causing a more direct path from the high voltage side of the electrical circuit to the ground through the air and not through the plasma tube. Once arcing begins it will normally continue and deteriorate the overall system.